Rebuke for Critic of Old Testament.
The Daily Express of 1st June, in a paragraph of its leader column, rebuked a Canon Thomas P. Stevens, presumably of the Church of England, who would like to see the Old Testament censored, like many other enemies of an Inspired and Infallible Bible. The Express editorial runs thus: “He thinks there are too many unpleasant stories in it. And he believes that one reason for the decline in religion is that people cannot understand the Old Testament’s teaching. Is the Canon right? Be sure he is not. He should turn his eyes to Scotland. There is a nation which has been nurtured on the Old Testament . . . There may be many reasons for the decline in religion. But the true and uncensored Word of God is not among them.” The Daily Express did well in this case. May more rebukes of offenders against the Word of God be administered by the press. This will serve a good purpose.
Southern Rhodesian Government and the Native.
Mr. R. O. Stockil, Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Party, in the Southern Rhodesian Parliament, when interviewed recently, said, “Southern Rhodesia has proved herself capable of complete self-government, politically, economically and more especially, by her very generous attitude towards the native.” He said further, “There is no doubt about it, the native in Southern Rhodesia enjoys better conditions, and there is a far better relationship between the European and the native in Southern Rhodesia than in most of the adjoining territories . . .” Inasmuch as the Free Presbyterian Church Foreign Mission activities are confined to Southern Rhodesia, among the natives there, the aforesaid statement is of interest to us as a Church; and we trust that as time goes on, our Missionary staff out there will be able to report benefits in increased measure which may support Gospel and other relative activities of our Mission, by virtue of a generous attitude towards the native, on the part of the Government.
Evolution Broadcasts by B.B.C. Attacked.
At a conference of Education Committees, held at Scarborough on 21st June, Alderman Stanley F. Johnson, ex-Mayor of Southend, declared that children should be taught that they are descended from Adam and Eve and not from monkeys. He attacked B.B.C. school broadcasts on “How Things Began,” and declared that many parents were disturbed because the B.B.C. was contradicting what was taught in religious homes about our first parents. He asked, “How could religion be taught according to the Bible if the contrary is to be taught by the B.B.C.?” Alderman Johnson has properly raised this matter in public just now, although protests have previously been made. He also repeated that the B.B.C. had so far refused requests to give talks of a scriptural, scientific and anti-evolution character. We consider the B.B.C.’s conduct in permitting its staff to give these unscriptural and wicked broadcasts to schools as only worthy of an atheistical and anti-Christian organisation, and it is a disgrace and a scandal that not only Government money but wireless licence payments by the public should be devoted to undermining belief in the Bible’s infallible account of the immediate creation of our first parents in the image of God and thereafter of the Fall. Evolutionists of this sort would fain eliminate from their minds and the minds of others, the very thought of the soul in man and of the reality of the Fall and sin, and man’s responsibility and accountability to God, the Creator and Judge of all. What an awakening the enemies of the Truth will have at death and at the judgment of the great day!
The Invasion of Southern Korea.
After the last world-wide war, Korea was controlled by the Russians in the North, and America supervised the Southern half of the Korean peninsula, from south of what is called the 38th parallel. This line was the frontier between North and South. After certain international conferences in which Russia and America were concerned, the U.S.A. were persuaded to withdraw their troops from Southern Korea, leaving only a handful of American officials and others to assist the then Southern Korean Government. The Communists took control in the North; and now, we have the serious situation which has arisen by the unprovoked invasion of Southern Korea by Korean Communist armed forces from the North. At the time of writing these forces have penetrated far south of the 38th parallel since they began this local war during the last week of June. As our readers will be familiar with the up-to-date news from the press, suffice to say on the facts of this dangerous situation, that as we write, President Truman, followed by supporting nations of the United Nations Organisation, are moving forces to the Korean area to resist and, we trust, deal with this act of aggression. Whatever may happen before these words are in print, the fact seems to be already established that the United Nations Organisation is an impotent and useless instrument as far as preserving peace and preventing war is concerned. Like the League of Nations, it has ignored God and His glory and claims as King of all the earth, and the Lord Jesus has been a stranger to its deliberations since its inception. The Most High will show to the United Nations Organisation that He will not give His glory to another. The Gospel with the power of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven will alone bring about international and universal peace for sinful and needy mankind. But, be this as it may, we are of the opinion that original aggressors and actual violators of the human and lawful rights and liberties of others shall, after a period, meet with divine and just retribution and judgment. We read of this in the Scriptures, and we have seen this taking place in the closing stages and aftermath of the last war. But godless men and nations will not learn; and so, many alive to-day may witness once more the judgment of war, by which our own and other nations shall be punished for our iniquities, and the principal and guilty aggressor nation or nations brought, in the judgment of God, to sore destruction. We live in momentous times and times calling for much secret prayer on the part of the Lord’s people.